Manchester United icon Teddy Sheringham gets Indian Super League post

King of Kolkata: Teddy Sheringham has received a prime ISL job (Getty).

Former England and Manchester United striker Teddy Sheringham has joined Indian Super League champions Atletico de Kolkata as head coach for the new season.

Sheringham, who made 51 England appearances between 1993 and 2002, joins another United hero Steve Coppell as a coach in India.

Kolkata believe Sheringham’s experience with United, West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur will help the team as they seek a third ISL title in four seasons.

“One of the top goal scorers and an exceptional player himself I am hopeful Teddy will bring his fine planning skills to lead the way for ATK,” Kolkata owner Sanjiv Goenka, chairman of RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, said in a statement.

Sheringham, 51, said he was “excited to be joining ATK and can’t wait to get started”.

KYLIAN MBAPPE

Spanish giants Real Madrid are content in the knowledge they may have to wait until the end of the summer transfer window to land coveted France and Monaco teenager Kylian Mbappe, according to Marca.

The 18-year-old has emerged as football’s hottest prospect, with Arsenal, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain all also prepared to pay a world-record fee in excess of £120 million (D577 million) to land him.

Real remain confident the allure of the Bernabeu and head coach Zinedine Zidane will ultimately be too overwhelming for Mbappe, no matter the intense competition.

RATING: 9/10

SPORT360 VERDICT

Such a seismic move was never going to be instantly decided.

Mbappe is spoiled for choice and doesn’t seem to know exactly what he wants to do, whether that is to maintain his rapid development with the Ligue 1 champions or head to a grander stage. Madrid are always going to be in the mix for such uber talents and their quiet confidence seems well placed.

Although president Florentino Perez is not reportedly willing to match the huge wage offers of PSG and City, Mbappe’s lifelong love of Madrid should see him end up playing in white sooner or later.

GONZALO HIGUAIN

The prospect of a second-successive monster summer transfer has been dashed for Argentina and Juventus hit man Gonzalo Higuain, according to the front cover of Tuttosport.

The well-connected Turin newspaper has declared the Old Lady have knocked back a massive €100 million (Dh421.2 million) bid from Chelsea as they search for a Diego Costa-replacement.

This figure would have represented a €10 million (Dh42.1 million) profit on the fee paid to snatch Higuain from Napoli 12 months ago.

RATING: 5/10

SPORT360 VERDICT

With 31 goals in 68 international appearances and a colossal 32 strikes in 55 run-outs in his debut season for beaten Champions League finalists Juve, it is clear to see why Chelsea could be interested in Higuain.

Yet it is hard to get behind this transfer. Higuain, for all his undoubted quality, will be 30 in December and he does not seem physically cut out for the rough and tumble of the Premier League.

Also, could this be a ploy by the perennial Serie A winners to get their enraged fans back on side after the shock sale of outstanding centre-back Leonardo Bonucci to AC Milan?

Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain (Getty).

ANDREW ROBERTSON

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp looks to have finally landed a left-back after an £8 million (Dh38.5 million) move was teed up for Scotland and Hull City’s Andrew Robertson, according to The Sun.

The 23-year-old was a rare shining light as the Tigers went straight back down into the Championship last season.

An agreement to land the recent Burnley target is expected to be secured this weekend.

RATING: 8/10

SPORT360 VERDICT

It is not a name to get the Reds fanatics revved up, but Robertson’s recruitment should at least should provide a potential solution for a problem position.

Midfielder James Milner excelled expectations when shoved into the new role last term, yet a return to the Champions League could see him exposed. And the less said about calamitous Spain left-back Alberto Moreno, the better.

Robertson will be delighted to take a major step-up in his career. Whether such an attack-minded player who was part of a porous defence which conceded a division-high 80 goals is the long-term answer, only time will tell…

Hull defender Andrew Roberton (Getty).

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Jose Mourinho has not closed the door on a new deal for Zlatan Ibrahimovic or a move for Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic, admitting Manchester United’s summer business is only 50 per cent complete.

Significant knee ligament damage brought Ibrahimovic’s outstanding first campaign at Old Trafford to an abrupt halt in April, with the Swede released at the end of his one-year deal.

It was little surprise given the 35-year-old’s huge wages and inability to play until next year, but the striker has stayed on at United to do his rehabilitation and could yet have a future at the club.

The Los Angeles Galaxy – United’s opponents when they kick-off their pre-season tour on Saturday – have long been linked with a move for the well-travelled forward, with a £6million-a-year deal reported to be on the table.

However, United boss Mourinho is keeping a keen eye on Ibrahimovic’s recovery and admits a new deal at Old Trafford could be on the cards.

“Possible, it’s open,” Mourinho said when asked if there was a chance Ibrahimovic could sign a new deal.

“Of course we wanted to be honest and open and let everything for him to make the decision in case his desire was to leave, so there was not a new contract.

“There was a space of time for everybody to think, to feel, to decide and from his point of view he made the decision of wanting to play football still at the highest level, didn’t want to hide behind such an amazing injury.

Mourinho also admitted United were in talks with Real Madrid for Morata. Couldn't come to an agreement. Sounds like it's dead.

“It would be easy for him to hide behind it and to say ‘it’s time stop and go to a different level of football’. He did not want that.

“He was not happy with the way he finished the season. Of course with his first European trophy but not playing and he made the challenge for himself of wanting to keep playing at the highest level.

“Obviously we open our door for him to recover with us, obviously Old Trafford, Carrington is open for him to recover with our people and to be one of us.

“At the same time, let’s make a decision that makes us all happy and if that decision is for him to stay and for us to wait, let’s say until December maybe because I don’t think before December he can be back to competitive football.

“But why not for us to wait for such a good player that gave us so much?

“So we’re speaking, we are changing ideas and again it’s in the hands of (executive vice-chairman Ed) Woodward and Zlatan’s agent, but the important thing is that the final decision is the best for the player.”

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